I truly believe that all creative writers, whether they’re beginners or more established, would do well to maintain a journaling practice.

Journaling is a wonderful way to get to know yourself, your memories, feelings, doubts, fears, obsessions… in short, things you care about that, someday, you might want to explore in your creative writing.

I recommend at least 15 minutes every day. It doesn’t matter what you journal about – it can be whatever comes into your mind. But if you need some inspiration, here are 24 journaling prompts to use, one for roughly each day of the writing month (this is assuming you take weekends off!).

The idea is to use these prompts as a jumping-off point. It’s perfectly alright if your journaling takes you away from the initial prompt; just do whatever you can to keep writing for the full 15 minutes.

1. What are your associations with the word ‘water’? Write down any feelings, memories, etc.
2. Who was your childhood best friend? Write down the memories that come to you about this person.
3. Can you remember a time you broke the rules and got away with it? Describe the situation and everything you can remember.
4. If you had one whole day without any obligations, plans, or worries, what would you do?
5. When you were a child, how did you envision your adult life going? Include as much detail as possible.
6. Write down a dream you had recently. If you can’t remember a dream, write down a daydream.
7. What was the first thing you learned how to cook? Who taught you?
8. What do you think of when you hear the word ‘courage’?
9. Describe the layout of your dream house. Be as wildly imaginative as you like.
10. What was your favourite game as a child? Why did you like it so much?
11. Describe the people in your neighbourhood: the people who live next door to you, familiar faces at the bus stop, local characters, etc.
12. What are your associations with the word ‘journey’?
13. Have you ever stolen something? What prompted you to do it, and how did you feel about it? If not, have you ever been tempted? And what stopped you from doing it?
14. Write an imaginary interview between you and one other person (either living or dead).
15. Describe your house/apartment from the perspective of a bird looking through the window.
16. What were you afraid of as a child? Did you resolve these fears? If so, how?
17. What spiritual/religious beliefs did your parents pass on to you? What spiritual/religious beliefs have you adopted independent of them?
18. What is your favourite way to travel, and why? (or if you don’t like to travel, why not?)
19. What’s something you wish you could apologise for, but for one reason or another you haven’t yet?
20. Who’s the first person you ever had a crush on? Why did you like them? Did anything happen between you?
21. What are your associations with the word ‘fire’?
22. Describe a memory you have of an important conversation.
23. When was the last time you felt truly, deeply peaceful? Describe where you were and what the feeling was like.
24. Write a letter to yourself from 5 or 10 years ago.